Generally, the configuration of a container end closure affects the level to which end consumers, as well as bottlers, manufacturers, distributors, shippers, and retailers, are satisfied with a container. One factor of importance to consumers is the pour characteristics of the container. In general, consumers prefer containers that provide a smooth or substantially laminar pour, i.e., a pour which is not characterized by a series of surges or “glugging”.
Many container configurations exist to enhance flow through a pour opening. For example, some containers utilize a single, large pour opening to admit air for venting the dispensed liquid. Examples are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,210,257; 5,007,554; 4,416,389; 4,148,410; 4,465,204; and 4,361,251; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. However, single, uniform pour openings are prone to the surging or “glugging” issues described above. Further, overly large pour openings may be difficult to open with a traditional stay on pull tab (“SOT”) due to the extended length of the score line and tear panel, thus causing consumer frustration.
In order to alleviate the surging or “glugging” issue, some containers utilize a second vent hole to depressurize a container, and thus allow for easier opening of the pour opening and for smoother and more laminar pours. Examples are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,205,760; 5,307,947; 5,397,014; 6,024,239; 6,079,583; 7,513,383; 7,748,557; 8,245,866 and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2010/0294771, 2011/0056946 and 2002/0139800; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. While these configurations improve the pour characteristics of the container, the fact that the second vent hole is separate from the pour opening limits the placement and size of the second vent hole and the pour opening.
Another factor of importance to consumers is the functionality of the container for adding items to the container. Due to a renaissance in the craft beer market, consumers are adding materials to their drinks such as oranges, limes, and other drinks such as vegetable juice, hot sauce, etc. Consumers may also want to simply add materials such as ice. Because secondary vent hole configurations limit the size of both the second vent hole and the pour opening, the consumer is prohibited from adding these materials to his or her drink.
Another configuration of end closure utilizes additional opening areas that are adjacent to the pour opening. For example, an end closure with a second and third opening area is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,567,158, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. These additional opening areas are opened by pivoting a pull tab over an additional opening and applying a downward force to the additional opening. Because these additional opening areas are opened by finger pressure alone, the scores for the secondary vent tear panels are generally deeper, i.e., less score residual, and thus prone to premature severing which causes failure, leaks, and economic loss during stacking or transportation. In addition, the size of the additional openings is limited, again, because only finger pressure is used and proximity to the pull tab is required. Therefore, the additional openings may not be sufficiently large enough to accommodate additional materials such as ice, limes, and oranges.
Thus, there is a need to provide a container end closure that provides enhanced pour characteristics with an enlarged primary pour opening and adjacent secondary vent opening which further allows the insertion of additional materials such as fruit or juice while minimizing the likelihood of problems such as bursting, buckling, leakage, opening failures, and the like.